Learn more about Jessie Mahon's creative process, including her preferred mediums and key artistic inspirations. In this in-depth discussion, Elise explores the stories behind her Bridgeman Edition fine art prints, Play to Win and Up Close. We are excited to represent Jessie Mahon's impressive fine art print collection.
1. What inspired you to create this piece?
Play to Win: As the granddaughter of farmers in rural Indiana, I have a deep respect and gratitude for nature. My Grandma would often say that going to work was like playing the lottery every day – their entire livelihoods dependent upon how much, or how little, it rained. This piece, titled 'Play to Win', pays homage to my family and their unwavering preservation of farmland in Milroy, Indiana (Kickapoo Indigenous land), which mirrors America’s steadfast dedication to capitalism and its “always open for business” ideals. The piece explores what the Earth means to us and invites us to engage with how we treat our first and only home while navigating the societal labyrinth in which we were born.”
Up Close: The figures in my drawings, while all anonymous, almost unanimously exclude facial features. For me, this acts as an equalizer between the art and viewer as well as a framing device for storytelling, connection, and relatability. 'Up Close' was a commissioned drawing that I saw as an opportunity to explore what it might look like for a drawing to have a more direct, rather than observational, relationship with its viewer.
2. Does your practice respond to any specific themes?
By filling figurative outlines with dreamlike landscapes, objects, and elements, my work embodies a space between memory, reality, and imagination—unknowable yet deeply familiar. Influenced by the vividness of early 90s and 00s animation and video games, along with an acute familiarity with being a new kid throughout my upbringing, my work captures an ever-evolving and inclusive depiction of ‘self.’ My colored pencil drawings invite viewers to look beyond the circumstances of everyday life, engaging with the complexities of human experience that observation alone cannot fully capture.
3. What mediums did you use to create this work?
My preferred medium is colored pencils. Sometimes, if I feel like the piece calls for it, I'll block in color with india ink markers and layer colored pencil on top or embellish small areas with paint but, personally, there's nothing quite like colored pencil on paper.
4. Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Currently: Lise Sarfati, Inès Longevial, Georgia O'Keeffe, the colors and textures I see in everyday fashion, the American Midwest, and Los Angeles
5. How do you find new inspiration?
I go through my own camera roll on my phone. I'm always taking pictures, usually at 3X zoom. Everything feels a little bit more beautiful and romantic to me when viewed in this way. It reminds me of who I was or what I was feeling when I took the photo.
Bridgeman Editions is delighted to unveil a curated selection of fine art prints by Jessie Mahon, highlighting her unique approach to her art. This collection features a range of works, including ‘Play to Win' and 'Up Close'.